Fans of discovering all that’s new and groovy in the local wine scene will want to fill their boots with the newest little hero in the Wairarapa, Lime Hill. It’s a small but perfectly formed joint wine venture of Karl Johner of Johner Estate in Gladstone with his winemaker Raphael Burki. Located on a hillside east of Masterton, the vineyard is planted in mainly Mendoza-clone chardonnay and five different clones of pinot noir – so it’s a little bit of Burgundy in our back yard.
Lime Hill Vineyard Wairarapa Chardonnay 2018 $45
Oh. Wow. Oh Wow. Did I say wow enough? Gloriously golden and glossy in the glass, this chardonnay has come out of nowhere to now being on my ‘wines to take to the grave’ list. It is beyond delicious. Let’s attempt something more specific, however. It’s an exceptionally balanced, citrus-centric, stonefruit-saturated, chardonnay laced with roasted cashew characters, a lick of smoke and spicy oak. The acidity is juicy, the 13.5% alcohol perfectly poised, and I firmly believe the aromatics and flavours are something every chardonnay fan needs to experience.
